17th Lok Sabha elections: Highest number of women MPs

In recently concluded 17th Lok Sabha elections, total 78 women Members of Parliament (MPs) were elected. It is highest number of women representatives ever elected to lower house of Parliament since independence. They will account for 14.39% of the entire strength of lower house, which was at 12.5% with a total 65 women MPs in the previous Lok Sabha.

Key Facts

Party-wise breakup: With 40 women MPs, Bhartiya Janta Party (BJP) has sent largest number of elected women representatives to Lok Sabha, followed by Trinamool Congress (9), Congress (6), Biju Janta Dal (5) and Yeduguri Sandinti Rajasekhara Congress Party (4).

Regional vs. National Parties: The regional parties boast of higher ratio of women MPs as compared to national parties. Women MPs account for 41.6% of BJD’s total strength in Lok Sabha and 40.9% of TMC’s strength in the House. Both of these regional parties had pledged to give tickets to 40%% and 30% of party candidates to women before the elections started.

Winnability Factor: In 17th Lok Sabha elections, women candidates displayed higher winnability factor or strike rate. This higher success rate or winnability factor shown by women candidates is consistent with the past record. 78 elected women MPs have emerged winners out of total 716 women candidates who had fought during the 2019 Lok Sabha elections. It shows that success rate of women candidates was of 10.89%, much higher than success rate shown by male candidates of 6.41%.